Dr. Isabelle Lauzière
I am a Research Entomologist with the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Stephenville. However, I am based in Fredericksburg. I am pretty much a citizen ‘of the world’ and pretty well travelled. I was born in West Africa, am a Canadian citizen and currently a resident of the U.S. I have spent more time in Texas then I anticipated when I first landed in McAllen. Experiences and contracts led me here, in the beautiful agricultural area of the Hill Country where hopefully I can now settle in.
I completed my B. Sc. in Biology (Biotechnology) in 1992 at the University of Sherbrooke, in Sherbrooke, Province of Québec (PQ). The fall of the same year, I initiated a M. Sc. in Plant Biology, major in Tropical Agriculture and Agroforestry at Laval University, in Sainte-Foy, PQ. I completed those research requirements after spending over a year in Costa Rica doing field research to determine the benefits of growing legume trees in association with coffee plants. There, I also particiapted to local programs dealing with improvement and in vitro production of banana cultivars and milk goat production for small land owners. Costa Rica was pretty interesting and my new experiences led to the beginning of a Ph. D. in Entomology (1994-1999) at Laval University, with 2 ½ years of field and laboratory research in Mexico in biological control of coffee insect pests. Soon after followed a postdoc in Weslaco at TAES starting in 1998 on biological control of sugarcane insect pests. In 2000, I joined the Pierce’s disease-glassy-winged sharpshooter program at Edinburg and have been intrigued by the biology of these little guys ever since. I like gardening, I love animals and keep busy with a variety of projects, love cooking, sewing and knitting. My philosophy: Life was made to work hard. There will be time to rest at old age!
Currently, my research activities focus on the development of management strategies against xylem sap-feeding Hemiptera responsible for Pierce’s disease of grapevine. My experience in both applied and basic research of insect populations provides me with the background to study the biology and ecology of the vectors with emphasis on elucidation of the abiotic and biotic factors affecting population dynamics. Additionally, research during my career has provided me with field and laboratory experience in biological control of insect pests and insect rearing. As of July 2007, we have almost completely moved in our very new laboratory and greenhouse facility on Business Court by the airport. This has been so much work! We feel at home already and are anxious to talk science again. Come visit!